FIFA’s Chief Emergency Sports Medicine consultant, Professor Efraim Kramer recently visited PNG to assess the country’s ability to provide emergency medical services during the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
During his five-day visit, Professor Kramer and the Local Organising Committee medical team visited the Medical and Doping control rooms at the four match venues.
He also visited emergency medical service providers including St Johns, International SOS, the PNG Defence Force, the University of Papua New Guinea clinic and the Port Moresby General Hospital emergency section.
Professor Kramer said he was satisfied with the emergency medical service providers and their ability to attend to emergency cases as well as the emergency evacuation plan.
“Everything is here so there is no problem about that, it is the case of putting all the different areas together so that the different emergency services are able to collaborate and work together during the tournament.
“Our visit to the stakeholders didn’t just involve meetings but included inspection of all their medical equipment and facilities so it was quite detailed. So when I get on the plane I am quite happy that everything is in order and FIFA can send the young girls over for the tournament,” said Kramer.
Local Organising Committee Medical Services manager, Dr Gideon Kendino said the service that St Johns will be providing during the three weeks of the tournament will also be open to the public.
He said a group of St Johns Australian Paramedics will be brought in for the tournament and will be available to treat the general public during any emergencies.
During the tournament, ambulances, trained nurses and first aiders will be on standby to deal with emergency cases from the training fields and also at the match venues during the matches.
A section from the Port Moresby General Hospital’s emergency will be dedicated to deal with any emergency cases that are brought in by St Johns.